expectations of Jesus

Dear friends,

We all have expectations of Jesus. We believe that Jesus should respond to events in our lives in specific ways. When he doesn't respond the way we want him to, we become discouraged and lose faith in him. Times of trouble are best for revealing our expectations of Jesus. Even Jesus' disciples experienced this, as you can see below in Mark 4:35-40.

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

When Jesus says, “Let us go,” we expect smooth sailing ahead. But these verses show something different. When Jesus says, “Let us go,” do you focus on the word “go” or on the word “us.” Jesus wants us to focus on both words. The word “go” is a calling, and the word “us” is a relationship. Following Jesus is a calling and a relationship.

Because Jesus did not respond according to the disciples’ expectations, they accused him of not caring about their lives. Like the disciples, we sometimes accuse Jesus about his lack of care for us. But the cross is Jesus’ ultimate sign of care for us. He gave up his life to die on the cross so that we might have life in God. Then he gave us his Holy Spirit as a personal sign of his eternal relationship with us. The next time you accuse Jesus in your heart of not caring for you, remember the cross and the gift of his Holy Spirit in you.

39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Jesus calmed the storm with a simple command. He can do the same for us, but first he questions us: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” He wants to get to the root of our unbelief in him. Instead of taking each new storm as a test of Jesus’ power and love for us, he asks us to believe in him.

How can we do this? We talk to Jesus and we preach to ourselves. For example, this is what I might say to Jesus and preach to myself: “Jesus, this storm is really scaring me. I’m afraid I might die or lose everything I hold precious. But I know that you love me because you went to the cross for me. I know that you have the power to calm my storms if you want to, because you rose from the dead in great power. I know that you are in the boat with me even in this storm. Thank you for calling me and starting a relationship with me. Forgive my unbelief and show me how to live in your love and power. ”

In His Peace,

Jonathan